Work on three sections of A9 to start in 2017

Three new sections of Scotland’s longest trunk road are expected to be shovel ready in 2017.

Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown has announced new details for the A9 dualling programme. The sections of the dualling programme expected to be shovel ready in 2017 are the 10.5km Pitagowan to Glen Garry, the 8.3km Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore, and 9.3km Tomatin to Moy stretches.

Draft proposals for one of the busiest sections of the A9 – the 9.5km stretch between Luncarty to Pass of Birnam have also been published.

In addition, and to address concerns raised by some communities, dualling will only take place on the identified 200 metre-wide corridor along the existing route, with other off-line proposals removed. The publication of a new landscape policy will also ensure that the vitally important environment along the A9 is protected.

Brown said: “This is the first time any government has committed to dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness, the biggest transport project, by cost, in Scotland’s history, and the challenging programme of work remains on schedule for completion by 2025.

“We have pledged to bring forward elements of the scheme wherever we can and we are delivering on that. As a result of the detailed environmental and engineering survey work that has been going on along A9 between Perth and Inverness, we are providing further details which will see the programme divided into 12 distinct schemes from the original nine, allowing three new sections of the route – totalling 28.1 km of upgraded road – to be accelerated through the complex design and legal process.

“We have some 132km of road to be dualled between Perth and Inverness and these schemes, along with the 7.5km Kincraig-Dalraddy stretch, helps to meet our pledge to complete over half of the entire upgrading by 2022.

“We know the A9 also passes through areas of breathtaking natural beauty and which are hugely important in terms of wildlife, landscape and ecological value. The principles embedded in the new ‘Fitting Landscapes’ policy published today, which have been used to guide the early A9 dualling assessment work, will ensure the special qualities of the A9 landscape work will be protected and where possible, enhanced as the dualling programme is developed. The document will also act as a guiding light in all other landscape design and management work being taken forward by Transport Scotland.”